Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Q: Who is your favorite teacher?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

When a teacher favors you, your job is done. And a teacher favors you when you look at the teacher. That is why they say that when you become Gurumukhi – when you turn totally towards the Guru, then everything starts to happen.

Q: Gurudev, what is your favorite knowledge point?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Every knowledge that makes a point is my favorite.

Q: Our parents are very possessive about us and they call us 8-10 times in a day. How long do we tolerate this?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

If you see the environment of today’s society, it is natural for parents to worry more for their children. They love you so much which is why they call and check on you more often. Why do you see it as a burden? When you think it is a painful burden, you end up feeling disturbed. Just think about them and think from their point of view also.

Q: Gurudev, I often get visions during my practices about what is going to happen in life. What do I do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

See, when that happens, just be natural and at ease. Do not get troubled. When you go deeper into knowledge and meditation, these things may happen. Just be simple like a common man. Do not get stuck in all this. It may be right up to 90% but there are still 5%-10% chances that your premonition may not be right. So we should just treat it in a normal way. We need not fear these extraordinary abilities, neither should we use these abilities (that come through spiritual practices) for any sort of display.

Q: Gurudev, can you please throw some light upon the competitive spirit that parents today are creating among children by pushing them to achieve higher scores in studies like 90-95% etc.?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You should tell such parents to relax. It is a natural tendency to be competitive but they should not put too much pressure on the kids. Whatever percentage the child secures in the school exams, they should encourage the child and tell the child not to worry too much about it. You should quote some of the top examples for this. Some of the greatest leaders across the world were quite mediocre and average in their school days. They would not get the top rank in school, yet they have excelled. Parents need to kindle talent in their child, and they should not put blame and pressure on the child.

Q: Gurudev, I read the Namaz five times daily. I have joined the Art of Living since six to seven months. Can we do our meditation along with our Namaz or should we have a separate time for meditation?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You can continue performing your Namaz as you always do, and thereafter you can do your meditation separately once you have finished. You can do it at the same time, or you can also choose to do it before or after performing the Namaz.

Q: Gurudev, please ask the people here to plant one tree each when they go back to their homes in the towns and villages so that the proportion of oxygen increases in the atmosphere. I find that many of them do not do so once they return from here.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

I would not agree with your request of just planting one tree only. I would suggest that each person should plant five trees at least. You know when we had come to this land here where the Ashram is now, it was completely dry and barren. You could not even find a blade of grass growing here. But just look at how green and beautiful our Ashram is today. So we must all keep planting more and more trees continuously.

Q: Gurudev, in Maharashtra we have a saying which means that how can one say who is greater – God or the Guru. Please explain this, else I would believe as I always have that the Sadguru is always greater.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Well, yes that saying is true. There is a couplet by Saint Kabir in Hindi that says, "Guru Govind dou khade, kaake lagoon paao;Balihari Guru aapne Govind diyo bataye".(Saint Kabir writes: Both God and the Guru are before me, whose feet do I bow down to? O my dearest Guru! It is you for by your blessings I could attain the Divine).

The Guru is the one who leads you to the light of the Divine (Govind). So it is right. The Guru has always held the highest position in our country since the ages. It is a very unique pedestal and we need to preserve and honour the dignity of the Guru.

Q: Gurudev, how can we be your Masterpiece?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You are already one! You are a piece of the Master, and you should go and spread the peace of the Master.

Q: How do I build an affinity and attachment towards knowledge?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

This very question indicates that you already have it my dear. Why do you keep looking for it when you already have it?If you think that you do not have an affinity for knowledge and then you strive to cultivate it, I tell you, it is never going to happen. There are certain things that you should just assume to be present in you. There are some things that we need to know and understand, and there are some things that we just need to believe in totally, and take it for granted.Of course, you cannot know everything so some things you would need to reason out. For example, if someone tells you, “This is poison, do not drink it”. You should not say, “Oh! How do I know it is poison? Let me try and see if it really is poison”. You would not survive to tell the difference (laughter). Do you get what I am saying? So there are some things you simply need to assume to be true, and there are other things that you need to know and understand.

Embrace everyone with love as you walk ahead in life. Often people say that they will only talk and mingle with people who are like them. I feel that is very foolish. What is the use of sitting with people who think alike and behave the same? It makes more sense to talk to people who are not like you and have a different thought process and beliefs than yours. That enhances your skills as well and it opens up your mind to new things. This rigid fundamentalist approach to sticking to one’s thought systems and principles is a typical sign of backwardness and orthodoxy in our country. A person follows certain principles or ideologies and stays away or aloof from other people who may not be following the same; just like how the Communists do in our country. If a Communist is well-established in his ideology and beliefs, what is so difficult in talking to people from other religions or ideologies? Often they run away from people who do not subscribe to their belief system and ideology. I would say, it is a kind of principles-based untouchability that they practice.

Even people who consider themselves as religious or spiritual behave this way. When they happen to meet an atheist, they keep away from them. This is a sign of weakness of a person rather than being strongly established in one’s beliefs. When we are well-established in our thoughts and beliefs, then we should walk freely with our head held high.